Discussion Topic: Research

Whether it is the push to increase education spending at the state level or the plan to raise property taxes to fund more buildings and other capital outlay projects, the push for more spending is based on the misguided belief that the schools simply don't have enough...

With renewal of a gross receipts tax on the ballot in several northern New Mexico counties (Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, Santa Fe and Taos) to fund the Rail Runner and related services, the Rio Grande Foundation requested updated annual ridership information. After years...

Albuquerque, NM—New Mexico is tied for 42nd among the 50 states in this year’s Economic Freedom of North America report, released today by Rio Grande Foundation conjunction with Canada’s Fraser Institute. Last year, New Mexico was tied for 47th. As Rio Grande...

Our state’s system of taxpayer-funded higher education is in crisis. A few key facts about postsecondary institutions in the Land of Enchantment, and the University of New Mexico in particular, reveal the depth of the problem: • New Mexico spends quite a lot on its...

(Albuquerque, NM) -- The Rio Grande Foundation, New Mexico’s free-market think tank, has launched the first podcast focusing exclusively on public-policy and political issues in the Land of Enchantment. “Tipping Point New Mexico: The Podcast” will soon be available on...

(Albuquerque, NM) – At some “Comprehensive” universities in New Mexico, particularly: ENMU, Highlands, Northern, and WNMU, all you need to get in is a high school diploma. In a new Rio Grande Foundation policy brief by William P. Leonard, PhD, “How Open Admission”...

(Albuquerque, NM) – The Trump Administration failed in its efforts to completely repeal the health care law known as “ObamaCare.” Aside from the individual mandate which was repealed in separate tax reform legislation, the health care law remains relatively intact....

(Albuquerque, NM) – In 2016, New Mexicans overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment to reform bail in the Land of Enchantment. But changes to the pretrial process remain controversial in the state, with Governor Susana Martinez expressing a desire to...

(Albuquerque, NM) – Tax reform is shaping up to be a top issue during the 2018 legislative session. The Rio Grande Foundation has supported the basic concept of reducing rates and removing exemptions from the gross receipts tax (GRT) as outlined by Rep. Jason Harper,...

(Albuquerque, NM) – With the mandatory paid sick leave ballot measure rejected and a mayoral runoff looming, the Rio Grande Foundation is again pressing for policymakers to consider reforms that will improve the struggling local economy. Numerous data points...

With Democrats on the hunt for higher taxes at both the State and local levels here in New Mexico, it is worth asking just how heavy the State's tax burden is relative to other States. Conveniently, Key Policy Data which looks at state by state data on taxes and other...

UPDATE: The original chart displayed in this post contained data that made APS' spending look even more out of line with spending in other school districts. This is because of a discrepancy over total spending vs. operational spending.. APS annual spending exceeds...

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